Date – 3rd May to 9th May.
Timings- 3rd May opening, 6pm.
4th to 9th May 11am to 7pm, Daily
Address- CCA Building, Both Floors, Bikaner House
Sanya Malik curates ‘Metamorphosis’ by Phaneendra Nath Chaturvedi. The show will open on 3rd May 2025 at the CCA Building, Bikaner House in Delhi, spanning both floors of the venue.
Metamorphosis is not merely an art retrospective but a curatorial excavation of the artist’s evolving consciousness. This body of work spans over two decades, tracing the shifting contours of his artistic identity and thematic preoccupations.Through precise penmanship, hyper-detailed brushwork, and surrealistic interventions, Chaturvedi constructs a visual lexicon that articulates the contradictions inherent in human existence—where beauty and brutality, order and chaos, nature and mechanization coalesce within a singular frame.
At its core, Metamorphosis is an exploration of transience—of forms, of thought, of human and ecological states of being. Chaturvedi’s meticulous draftsmanship allows his subjects to oscillate between dream and dystopia, embedding them within a space that is neither real nor entirely imagined. His figures, often distorted or anthropomorphized, function as conduits of philosophical inquiry, questioning notions of identity, performance, and the artificiality of appearance. The presence of fragile elements throughout his practice, from butterflies to bougainvillea’s, and wings of all forms represent the fragility and beauty that intermediates the chaos of humanity. He places these dichotomous elements together to speak to the larger essence of life – which is truly filled with dichotomies of beauty and pain, sparking a conversation on the feeling of being human, being mortal beings.
Metamorphosis is structured as a progression, beginning with Chaturvedi’s earlier, more figural compositions that lean towards narrative realism. Here, his pen-and-ink drawings depict human figures ensnared in the tensions of self-awareness, reflecting an early engagement with existential thought. As the works unfold, the formal elements shift towards abstraction—his subjects fragment, dissolve, and merge into swirling, multi-dimensional spaces that suggest a deepening interrogation of transformation itself.
A significant throughline in Metamorphosis is Chaturvedi’s use of contrast—not only in his monochromatic works but in the juxtaposition of rigid architectural elements with organic, fluid forms. His more recent pieces demonstrate a pronounced engagement with surrealist spatiality, where anatomical structures mutate into landscapes and vice versa. This is particularly evident in his sculptural interventions, where stainless steel and transparent colorations evoke the iridescence of nature’s most fleeting marvels: the wings of a butterfly, the exoskeleton of an insect, the reflection of light on water.
Curatorially, Metamorphosis invites the viewer to enter a liminal space—one where the lines between the material and immaterial blur. Chaturvedi’s works are not prescriptive; they do not impose narratives but rather act as open-ended invitations to contemplate evolution in its many forms. Metamorphosis asks us: Are we, as individuals and as a society, ever truly stable? Or are we in a perpetual state of becoming—an endless negotiation between the worlds we construct and those that shape us?
Bikaner House, with its colonial-modernist architectural language and its new role as a cultural incubator, serves as an apt venue for this exhibition. The spatial curation ensures that Chaturvedi’s works unfold like a journey rather than a static display—each room a chapter in his ever-expanding lexicon of metamorphic possibilities.
In Metamorphosis, Phaneendra Nath Chaturvedi does not merely depict transformation—he enacts it, compelling the audience to witness, reflect, and ultimately participate in the unfolding process of change. The exhibition also features many monumental works of Phaneendra Nath Chaturvedi, including works on paper, canvases, and sculptures.
Following its conclusion at Bikaner House on May 9, a satellite edition of Metamorphosis will continue at Black Cube Gallery, New Delhi, till May 30, offering audiences an extended opportunity to engage with Chaturvedi’s transformative works.
About Phaneendra Nath Chaturvedi
Phaneendra Nath Chaturvedi, born in Varanasi in 1981, is an acclaimed contemporary visual artist. Inspired by his childhood in Banaras, his artworks blend anthropomorphic figures, vibrant butterflies, and daily objects that depict beauty, resilience, and change. Chaturvedi utilizes diverse media like pencil, water colour, acrylic, pigment, wood, fibreglass, and stainless steel.
Chaturvedi has held solo shows at Lalit Kala Akademi, Lucknow; Mint Gallery, New Delhi; Karin Weber Gallery, Hong Kong; Bruno Art Gallery, Singapore. his work has also been showcased at Fondazione Querini Stampalia, Venice; Keumsan Gallery, Seoul; Hangaram Art Museum, Seoul; the Modern & Contemporary Art, Dallas; The Asian, American and European Modern & Contemporary Art, New York, among others. He is the recipient of six prestigious awards, including the All India Fine Art and Craft Society Award in 2004 and the All India Award from the Ministry of Culture of the Government of India in 2006. Chaturvedi’s works have been featured in exhibitions in Indian including the 20th All India Art Exhibition in Nagpur, where his paintings won an award, the National Exhibition of Art at the National Academy of Art in Mumbai, the Inter-State Exhibition in Shimla, the Annual All India Art Exhibition, at AIFACS in New Delhi and the 10th Harmony Show in Mumbai among others. Three of his mixed media works on paper have also been shown at ‘Hybrid Trend’, a contemporary Asian art exhibitions held at Hangaram Art Museum and organized by the Seoul Art Center in South Korea. He received his BFA and MFA in painting from the College of Art, University of Lucknow. He lives and works in New Delhi.
Sanya Malik- Curator/Director
Sanya Malik, founder and director of Black Cube Gallery in New Delhi, has been immersed in the art world from an early age, growing up around renowned Indian artists such as Himmat Shah and Krishen Khanna. Her academic background includes studies in art criticism and curation with her bachelor’s from Central Saint Martins London, and Masters from Royal College of Art, London. Under her leadership, Black Cube challenges traditional gallery norms by offering a platform that bridges the gap between established and emerging artists, aiming to make art more accessible and engaging for diverse audiences.
About Sanya Malik’s Black Cube:
Black Cube Gallery is a contemporary art space that challenges conventional hierarchies by bringing together established and emerging artists in a shared dialogue. Founded on the belief that art should exist beyond structured divisions, Black Cube creates a space where different artistic languages interact, where tradition and experimentation coexist, and where critical discourse is extended to all artists, not just the historically recognized.
Black Cube launched its first permanent space in Hauz Khas, New Delhi in February 2025. The gallery remains committed to fostering meaningful engagement with contemporary art, offering exhibitions that challenge, provoke, and expand the way we experience visual culture. At its core, Black Cube is more than a gallery—it is a space of exchange, experimentation, and new possibilities for artistic thought and presentation.
